Hearing aids include a microphone. The microphone converts acoustic signals into an electrical signal, referred to herein as an acoustic-based signal. The electrical signal is processed, and the resulting processed signals also can be referred to as an acoustic-based signal or a signal representative of an acoustic-based signal. Hearing aids also include a receiver which functions as a speaker. The acoustic-based signal is processed and presented to the receiver, which transforms the acoustic-based signal into an audible sound wave, herein referred to as an output acoustic signal. The microphone and receiver form part of an acoustic signal processing section of the hearing aid.
Hearing aids also include communication or data transmission components used to communicate with devices that are external to the hearing aid. One example of data transmission components includes wireless transceivers, such as those used to wirelessly communicate with hearing aid programmers. Programmers are used to program various functions of the hearing aid. The transceivers are also able to wirelessly communicate with other hearing aids, or with assisted listening devices. The transceiver forms part of a data signal processing section of the hearing aid.
Data transmission signals generate radio frequency (RF) waves, which can interfere with the acoustic signal processing section of the hearing aids. The microphone is particularly vulnerable to interference from the data transmission signals. The interference picked up by the microphone is propagated within the acoustic-based signal, and is transformed into an unpleasant output acoustic signal by the receiver.
There is a need in the art to provide an improved hearing instrument that does not transform data transmission interference into unpleasant output acoustic signals.